31 July 2008

The Relief and Disaster Management Commission is one of the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia? Commissions. Our Mission is to mobilize and work together with our members, partners and other relief agencies to prevent and respond to Natural Disasters.

This year, we noticed that Cambodia has met several kinds of disasters such as heavy storms along the border in Kampot, Battambang, Preah Vihar, and Siem Reap that damaged and affected many people. Hundreds of homes were destroyed. We also saw that disaster by fire also occurred in several areas such as Beoung Trabek which destroyed 44 homes, Boeung Tompun 4 homes and moreover, a serious disaster on April 11, 2008 from a fire in Trapaing Chouk, Resey Kov district, Phnom Penh, in which 479 homes were destroyed and there remained more than 700 families who lost their property and shelter with no place to live and also caused hundreds of children to miss school.

EFC-RDMC investigated those events through gathered information and took photos of them, then sent that information to our members and partners both locally and abroad. After researching and observing directly several times, seeing the suffering of those people, Rev Heng Cheng, General Secretary of EFC, immediately issued a letter of appeal for fund raising for emergency relief in order to share with the government and other relief agencies to help relieve the bad circumstances and lighten the burden of the victims. And after doing this appeal for a while, we received grant aid and other supplies from our members, partners, and the private sector such as used clothes, medicine, noodles, canned fish, fish sauce, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, and cash. However, our budget is limited; EFC-RDMC cooperated with the local authorities who conducted the research again which focused on the most vulnerable people. Therefore, on Monday 02 Jun, 2008 EFC-RDMC, Donors, Local authorities, Volunteers, and ANZ Royal Bank representatives came to together distribute the love gifts to the victims totaling 260 families. Each family received 20kg of rice, 20packs of noodles,10 cans of canned fish, 2 bottles of fish sauce and other supplies including such as used clothes, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste?etc. These gifts were distributed after the opening and speech given by Rev. Heng Cheng, local authorities and Mr. Rotha the ANZ Royal Bank representative. We plan to do this charity distribution again when seeing the most needs of the victims who are asking for emergency help.

On behalf of EFC Board of Directors, General Secretary, victims from home fires, and EFC-RDMC, we would like to express our sincere thinks to all donors, and especially for EFC members for their contribution and donation in both finance and human resources that are a force of movement to make this distribution happen and it is also displays a good attitude and a sign of transformation in our unity.

However, brothers and sisters please still keep praying for people who are the victims from natural disasters in our country and the world. Also remember for EFC-RDMC to have sufficient funds for implementing its work in order to prevent and respond to the natural disasters.

Thanks!

Ma Ravuth
EFC-RDMC Facilitator
EFC Executive Committee
Office (855) 23- 885-241
Mobile(855) 12- 713-551
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